Paleo? Gluten free?

If you have spent any time at all reading any nutritional articles I am sure you have come across athletes trying Paleo or Gluten Free diets.  The idea behind both of them is better nutrition by ingesting more whole foods and less preservatives or hard to digest grains.  If you can digest your nutrients better then your body is fueled more efficiently.
Paleo diet eliminates dairy(except for butter), soy, corn, grains, potatoes (sweet potatoes are allowed), any artificial preservatives, and sugar.  Some versions of the diet allow dairy.  It is a tough one to follow religiously if you actually want to eat out once a week.
Gluten free refers to elimination of any grain that includes gluten.  Wheat, barley, malt, spelt and Bulgar are the most common culprits.

My husband has participated recently in an eight week challenge that follows the Paleo diet while encouraging other healthy habits.  He has had a hard time following the Paleo diet to a T mostly because it is impossible to eat out without questioning every single thing that is on your plate.  Forget taking your kids out for ice cream.  What on earth can you order?

I myself am mostly Gluten Free (beer is a tough one) but that is more for stomach issues than any desire to improve my running times.  I have not noticed any huge jump in my athleticism but I can say that it makes you think more about what you eat and how it affects you.  Any diet that encourages you to eat more whole foods (I am stuck with mostly salads instead of hoagies) can't be entirely bad.  Hummus, fruit, and yogurt are my new best friends.  Pasta, bread, and crackers can all be replaced but I try not to rely on all substitutes.  Thank god chocolate is mostly gluten free.

I have posted two of my favorite Paleo/Gluten Free recipes.  For me, they require the least amount of effort with the most flavor:

Greek Lentil Soup:

1 Tbsp EVOO
1 small onion, chopped
2 Celery, chopped
2 Carrot, chopped
32 oz box of Chicken stock or broth (preferably organic)
1 cup of diced tomatoes drained (I leave this out as my kids are not fans of tomatoes in their soup)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup cooked, chopped chicken (you can omit this for a vegetarian option)
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Add salt and pepper to suit your own preferences.  

Cook celery, onion, garlic, and carrots in EVOO.  Add stock, 1/2 cup water, and other ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer for 40 minutes.  Remove bay leaf, serve.

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert

4 Frozen bananas
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk (soy, almond, regular, whatever)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
pinch brown sugar

Break up bananas, throw everything into a heavy duty blender and pulse away.  Serve and eat immediately.

Enjoy!